Device for treating motion-picture films



@win '1%@25 l,555,957

V. C. DE YBARRONDO DEVICE FOR TREATING MOTION PICTURE FILMS Filed Jan. 30.. 1922 Patented Oct. 6, `1925.

Y 1,555,957 PATENT oEFlcE.

"VINCENT C. DE YBARCBONDO, 0F LOS NGELES, CALIFORNIA.

:DEVICE- FOR TREATING- MTION-PICTURE FILMS.

Application IedJanuary 30, 1922 Serial No. 532,918.

To all whom t ma concern.'

Be it known t at I, VINCENT C. DE YBARRONDO, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles,*in -thecounty of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Device for Treating Motion-Picture Films, of which the following is a specification.

My inventlon relates to the production of motion pictures and relates particularly to the treatment of exposed lm for the development thereof and the further preparation.

thereof for its ultimate use. Both negative and positive films are sub- )ected to a series of consecutive treatments after their exposure, these treatments consisting essentially of the following steps: the development of the image by immerslng the lm in developing solutionsgthe fixation of the image by the immersion of the film in lixative solutions; washing of the lilm to remove all adhering solutions; and

nally the dryingof the film after which it maybe polished to remove the evidences of the extensive treatment 'through which -it has been passed in preparation for com mercial uses.

It is the principal object of my invention to provide an apparatus which will expedite the operations which are performed upon motion picture films for, the purpose-of preparing them. for exhibiting use.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a device for treating motion picture film into which a film may be introduced at one side of the device and may be conveyed therethrough without further manual attention and may be taken from the device in la condition suitable for the subsequent operation.

I attain these and other objects, as will be made evident hereinafter; by the pro-5 vision of a continuous traveling belt to which the film is attached, the lm thereafter being carried through certain of the operations hereinbefore mentioned; and by other mechanical means which I have entered into combination with the principle ofthe-traveling belt. Referring to the drawing which isfor illustrative purposes only,

Fig. 1 is a somewhat dia ammatic section through a film treating evice embodyin my invention. A

'ig. 2 is a section taken 'upon a plane represented by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.`

attached to a continuous belt suitable for employment 1n the practice of my invention.

Although the prmciples of my invention may be a plied .to the developing, xing, washing, rying and certain other ordinary operations through which the film must be passed before it is ready for commercial use, I am in this application presenting but one form of my invention; that of a device for drying films after they are taken from the washing operations.

As shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawing I employ a substantially tight box-like structure-11 within which s ools 12 are mounted upon shafts 13 extending between the side walls15 of the box 11. A continuous belt 18 is so mounted on the spools 12 that a sinuous course is provided. In assuming this sinuous course., the belt passes through channels formed by extendin walls 20 between the side walls 15 of t e box 11. A film 25 from the previous o eration is carried into the box 11 over a ro er 26 upon for removing surplus the exterior of the box 11 and is passed web 32 extending Vdownwardly from the l underside of the door .35. After passin through the opening 30 the iilm is attach to the belt 18 as mdicated 'at 36 so that it will be carried throughout the different channels 19 as the belt is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow 38.

The door 35 1s mounted upon a hinge 40 be swung back through the positionin icated bythe dotted lines 41, by lifting` upon the knob'42. It will be perceived that the 'door 35 is of suicient size to expose the interior of the water removing chamber 44 and the firs'tof the spools 12 which I have indicated by the number 45. When introducing film into the device,- the film 25 is manually laced over the s cols 27 and'29 and attache to the belt at t e 1 45. The belt 18 is caused to ltravel by iving one of the spools over which 1t runs, preferably by driving the end spool as designated at 47, the drivingof which spool may be accomplished by connection with a rotating member, not shown, by means of suitable belting or gearing. The film 25 is then conveyed by the traveling belt 18 .through the channels 19 until the spool designated at 48 is reached whereupon the film is detached from the belt and conveyed as indicated by the dotted line 50, to the exterior of the box 11 through rollers 49 and wound upon a `suitable spool 52 which is supported between brackets 53. A door 55 is provided to allow access to the spool 48,

- substance orfabric having high belt 18 at a point in its course before contact' is made with the moist film 25. I accomplish the heating of the belt 18 by the employment of a heating element 57 which is covered by a member 58 under which thebelt passes as indicated at 59 inits return from the spool 47 to the spool 45. Electric current for energizing the element 57 is taken from a vcurrent source as the generator 65, through a lead conductor 66 and a return conductor 67 in which' a rheostat 68 and a service switch 69 are placed. A certain amount of the heat generated in the element 57 passes upwardly through certain of the channels 19 and has further drying action upon the film being carried through these channels. Additional heat for' drying the film may be furnished by placin a steam v jacket 71 around a desirable num er of the channels 19. Steam is introduced into the carried upon the traveling the meaning of creating a jacket'71` through a valve 72 and is carried olf therefrom through piping 73. of the lm l lt by influencing the atmos here upon the. interior of the box 11 in suc a manner that the moisture absorbingv ualities are considerably increased. Byi u'encing I intend to convey particularly deere within the I further assist the dryin sirable state of the atmos box 11 such as extremely ow humidity ofy the airconstituting this internal atmosphere interior of the box 11 by which may be accomplished by introducing dry air through piping 75 into the box and carrying olf moist air from the box 11 through piping 762 It may be further desirable to create a partial vacuum u on the exhaustmg air through either of the piplngs 75 or 76 to assist in the vaporizatlon of the moisture carried oupon the -lm 25 or it may be de# sirable' to introduce a refrigerant through piping 75 allowing vthis refri erant to expand withinA the box 11 and to e carried olf through vthe piping 76.

A particular advantage mtthe use of my invention resides in the fact that after the first length of ilm is started, on its course throughout the box, the apparatus may be operated continuously without the necessity o opening either of the doors 35 or 55 as succeeding lengths of film may be joined by the temporary film splicers which are of common use in the motion picture industry. In Fig. 4 of thedrawing I- show a very desirable )form of belt for use in the practice of my invention. This belt 79 is of sutlicient width to accommodate a plurality offilms 80 which are attached thereby by means of small hooks 81 which pass through small holes 82 punched in the end of each of the films 80. In the operation of my device, the lilm 25 is passed over the roller 27 and downwardly between the vacuum nozzles 28 which are shown in. section in Fig. 3. Each of the nozzles 28 is rovided with small openings 85 through w ich air is drawn at a high velocit due to the exertion of a vacuum throug the piping 86. As the film 25 passes v film is acted upon by the heated atmosphere 1'00 and the conditlon of vacuum created therein as hereinbefore mentioned thus accomplishing the entire removal of moisture from the 'film so that when the film is taken from the box 11, it is in a perfectly dry condition. The length of time to which the film is subjected to the conditions upon the interior of a device embodying my invention may be regulated byyarying the speed at which it is carried through upon the belt 18, this regulation being accomplished after a comparatively few trials.

The device shown in the drawingl `may be employed for the urpose of remo-ving emulsion from film in t e following'manner. The wet lm is passed over the rollers 27 and 29 and attached to the belt 18 as previously described. In this case the vacuum nozzles are allowed to remain inactive so that most of the moisture will remain upon the film. Small ads such as indicated at 90 are mounted) upon bell cranks 91 so that they may be drawn into contact with the surface of the film by downwardly actuating the rod 92. The wet emulsion is comparatively easy of removal from the film and comparatively small pressure is required against the film by the pads 90. Walls 94 disposed beneath certain of the channels 19 provide, in comassist in the removal of the emulsion, these solutions being afterwards drained off through drains y96.

I claim as my invention:

l. In apparatus for treating motion picture film, the combina-tion of: a traveling belt; clips functioning independently for attaching film to said traveling belt and holding the film to said belt; and means for treating said film as it is conveyed upon said traveling belt. t

2. In apparatus for treating motion picture film, the combina-tion of: a continuous traveling belt; clips for functioning independently for attaching film to said traveling belt and holding the film to said belt; and means for treating said film as it is conveyed -upon said traveling belt. n 3. In apparatus for treating mo-tion picture film, the combination of: a traveling belt; clips functioning independently for attaching film to said traveling belt; and means for heating said belt.

4. In apparatus for treating motion picture film, the combination of: a continuous traveling belt; clips functioning independently for attaching film to saidtraveling belt; means for treating said film as it is conveyed upon said traveling belt; and a heat dispersing member for heating said belt.

5. In apparatus for treating motion picture film, the combination of: a continuous traveling belt; clips for attaching film to said traveling belt; means for treating said film as it is conveyed upon said traveling belt; and a heat dispersing member for heating said belt before contact is made between said belt and said lm.

6. In apparatus for treating motion picture film, the combination of: a traveling belt; means for attaching film to said traveling belt; exhaust means for removing moisture from said film before said film comes in contact with said belt; and a heat dispersing member for heating said belt before Contact is made between said beltand said film.

7. In apparatus for treating motion piceling belt; means for removing moisturel from said film before said film comes in contact with said belt; and a heat dispersing member for heating said beltbefore contact is made between said belt and said film.

8. In apparatus for treating motion picture film, the combination of: a box-like member; a continuous traveling belt within said member; means for attaching-film to said belt; an exhaust nozzle for removing water from said film before said film comes in contact with said belt; and a heat dispersing element for heating said belt before said film comes into contact therewith.

9. In apparatus for treatingmotion picture film, the combination of: a box-like member; a continuous traveling belt within said member; means for attaching film to said belt; an exhaust nozzle fo-r remo-ving water from said film before said film comes in contact with said belt; a heat dispersing element for heating said belt before said film comes into contact therewith; and means for heating the interior of said box-like member to assist in the vaporization fromsaid film of the moisture remaining thereupon after the subjection thereof to the action of said exhaust nozzle. l

l0. In apparatus for treating motion picture film, the combination of: a box-like member; a continuous traveling'belt within said member; means for attaching film to said belt; an exhaust/ nozzle for removing water from said film before said film comes in contact with said belt; a heat dispersing element for heating.y said belt before said film comes into contact therewith; means for heating the interior of said box-like member to assist in the vaporization from said film of the moisture remaining thereupon after the subjection thereof to the action of said exhaust nozzle; and piping connecting into the interior of said box-like member through which the interior atmosphere of said member may be influenced to assist in the drying of saidJ film as it is conveyed through said member by said traveling belt.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 23rd day of January, 1922.

VINCENT C. DE YBARRONDO. 

